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Seoul lives up to its reputation as a 24-hour city with a wealth of bars and pubs, clubs, and live music and performance. Each neighborhood has its own character at night—Itaewon is international, Gangnam brimming with class, and Insadong home to cozy local makgeolli bars.
A bar and bottle shop with a moody interior, this cinematic space is inspired by the aesthetic of Asian street food markets. Each detail of the bistro—from the Buddha head in one corner to the towering green plants under the dim, red lights—comes together for a powerful effect. The menu, which changes seasonally, offers natural wine, cocktails, and simple Asian-inspired dishes. Note that the bar is less kid-friendly than most as there are some provocative photos on display.
Located within a traditional hanok, this intimate space with dim lights and a warm wooden bar serves modern takes on traditional liquors and spirits. It's a memorable place to sample the best Korean flavors, soju, and craft cocktails. No wonder it's been named one of the 50 best bars in Asia. Note, the bar only accommodates groups of four or less and reservations are highly recommended. Bar bites are available; they're open until 1 am.
Tea is the hero of the cocktail menu at this Zen-like bar meets teahouse, starring in everything from the Earl Grey Bourbon to the Champagne Oolong. It's a unique experience, but be prepared to spend about ₩25,000 per tea cocktail.
Tucked away in an elegant hanok in Naeja-dong, Cobbler is a whiskey and cocktail bar that serves slices of cobbler pie with every visit. The space, dimly lit and furnished with imported antiques, only has room for 20 guests, but plenty of people are willing to wait as the bar’s owner, Robin Yoo, is one of the best-known mixologists in the country. There is no menu, but you can choose from their takes on classics like the Old Fashioned and Moscow Mule or ask the staff to recommend a drink based on your preferences. Come before 7 pm to ensure you’ll get a seat or visit their second, more spacious location in Yeonhui-dong.
A low-key, self-serve bar stocked with beers and wines from all over the world, Dalmac Super is known for its quality drink selection and its friendly staff. Customers can select drinks from one of the bar’s nine glass door refrigerators and shop for snacks like popcorn, chips, and jerky. (Outside food is also permissible as long as each customer purchases one drink.) Each fridge is labeled with a different category: nonalcoholic, Korean craft, lager and pilsner, light ale, strong ale, fruity and sour, black beer, wine, and promotional (highlighting discount drinks of the week). During the summers, customers can sit outside on a limited number of tables set up on the bar’s stoop and people-watch as Itaewon residents make their way through the busy street. Dalmac’s frozen slushies are also a highlight of the season.
While bars and restaurants that play today's Korean top hits may be a dime a dozen, Gopchang Jeongol is the rare institution that focuses on Korean rock from the 1970s to 1990s. The bar’s name means “beef tripe hot pot,” but their menu offers little out of the ordinary, including Korean beers by the pitcher, green bottles of soju, and basic cocktails alongside Korean-style fruit salad (a common bar food until the 2000s). The bar retains a charming, old-school feel with a live DJ on weekends, disco lights, and heavy, outdated furniture. Musicians who once ruled Hongdae's streets come to listen to favorites like the Kim Sisters, Shin Jung-hyun, and Lee Sun-hee.
A grand piano and suave bartenders lend a 1920s vibe to this cosmopolitan hotel rooftop bar. Craft cocktails, an extensive cigar collection, regular live jazz performances, and a terrace featuring one of the best views of Heunginjimun Gate make this a splendid place to while away an evening. The prices reflect the posh ambience—expect to pay upwards of ₩20,000 per cocktail.
This second floor cocktail and coffee bar manages to feel classic despite pulling off an unusual marriage of Korean and Western cultures. Hangeul directly translates to “Korean alphabet” and the bar’s name was inspired by co-owner Kim Hangeul’s name. Ms. Kim was born on October 9th, Korean Language day, and the bar opened on October 9th, 2023. One decorative highlight of the bar is a wooden beam on the ceiling decorated with dancheong, a traditional Korean pattern of five bright colors typically seen at palaces, done by a professional dancheong artisan using the art form’s customary powder paint (a rarity outside non-traditional spaces). Other nods to Korean culture include the serving of cold barley tea instead of water (typical of Korean households before the ‘90s) and Korean radio playing in the bathroom. None of the elements feel gimmicky and the ambience is never pretentious. Ms. Kim’s husband and co-owner, Jung Hyo-won is a veteran bartender in Seoul’s mixology community so each drink is made to perfection. Try the Cacao Fizz or Boulevardier; if you'd rather opt for a classic, they also make a great Old Fashioned.
Attached to the fine dining restaurant Mariposa within the Fairmont Ambassador Hotel, this sleek and sultry bar is known for its wide whiskey selection, excellent cocktails, and views of the Han River.
A local institution for craft beer, Magpie was founded in 2011 and kicked off South Korea’s craft beer revolution. Their signature beers include the Magpie IPA, Porter, and Stout, but in recent years, they’ve become well-known for their more experimental drinks made with ingredients from Jeju Island, where one of their bases is located. While Magpie beer is sold at bars and restaurants across the country, this original location is a neighborhood institution.
Approximately a dozen bars occupy two parallel streets outside Euljiro 3-ga Station to make up Nogari Alley, one of Seoul’s most festive places to have fresh beer and nogari (dried pollack). While the fish snack is not everyone’s cup of tea, the ambience is a crowd pleaser unlike anything else you’ll experience in the city, especially in warmer weather. Each bar sets up red and blue lawn furniture outside, and the streets fill with friends and coworkers kicking back with cold drinks. It may be difficult to find a table between 8 pm and 10 pm, but if one bar is full you can easily hop to another. There’s little to differentiate them. Fried chicken and jwipo (fish jerky) are also on the menu.
Opened in 2018, this upscale bar in Hannam-dong is inspired by vintage train travel, where everything from the drinks to the decor would be right at home on a first-class carriage. Sit at the bar and have a chat with the bartenders if you’re having a drink on your own, or opt for a seat in the courtyard if you’re out with friends on a summer night. The bar’s signature cocktails—the Ramos Gin Fizz, Jimmy Roosevelt, and Breakfast Martini—are creative takes on crowd favorites. Make sure to order from the food menu as the dishes here, such as crispy bacon, deep-fried shrimp sandwich, and crab cakes, are a step above the ordinary.
Situated in the basement of the Park Hyatt hotel, Timber House bills itself as an upscale vinyl record bar, with Izakaya-themed Japanese dishes and top notch cocktails, whiskeys, and wines. As the name suggests, the space is all deep varnished wood and soft, tasteful lighting, with DJs spinning a collection of the records Tuesday through Sunday night. The drinks aren't cheap, but the bar is worth a visit for the experience alone. Their happy hour, from 5 to 7 pm, offers half-price entrees and drinks that takes some of the sting out when it comes to time to pay the bill.
Meant to resemble an old-fashioned fortune-telling shop on the outside, this fanciful speakeasy looks like a tropical jungle on the inside. Ferns and flowers cascade from walls and the ceiling; Buddha statues peek out from nooks and crannies; oriental lanterns and rainbow lighting cast an otherworldly glow; and there’s a tropical fish tank suspended above the bar. There are pasta, tapas, and grilled food options, but this place is all about the zodiac-themed cocktail menu, which features a different libation for each sign. Overall, it's like an Alice in Wonderland adventure for adults.
